Following the departure from Carlow of
the British army forces in 1922, "Tatler" paid a visit to Carlow
Military Barracks which was then occupied by the Irish Free
State Army under the command of Commandant Liam Stack.
Tatler's statement "more hygienic"
maybe a reference to the fact that upon taking over the Military
Barracks it was discovered that the Northumberland Fusiliers had
left behind 57 unemptied "piss-pots"!
Nationalist Feb. 1922.
During the week I had occasion to
visit the Carlow Military Barracks, and I was very much
impressed by the type of young Irish soldiers I saw there. I
knew some of them, and if the rest of the National Army are of
the same type there need be no fear of the future. But apart
from this, I must admit that whoever is responsible for the care
of the buildings are to be congratulated. Carlow Military
Barracks to-day are cleaner and "more hygienic" than in the days
when the British Army of Occupation was quartered there. And
again, the officers N.C.O.s and men were polite, with that
politeness which is racy of the soil, not the cool , suspicious
and formal politeness, which I experienced during the last few
years when duty forced me to the gate of Carlow Military
Barracks.
[Note added by Michael Purcell 2010.
Unfortunately matters were a bit more unsettled than Tatler
observed. The Irish Free State Army at this time was split in
its loyalty to the Free State Government. Many of those who
joined were supportive of the Treaty but another section
strongly opposed the Treaty, two opposing armies were emerging.
As a Brigade or Unit formed its loyalty from the majority of the
soldiers in it, the soldiers opposed to their views would leave
and join a different Unit where "republican" views prevailed.
Soon whole Brigades and Units throughout Ireland were pro-Treaty
or anti-Treaty. Most Commanders took their orders from the Free
State Minister for Defence, Richard Mulcahy, the anti-Treaty
people still owed their allegiance to Cathal Brugha, who had
just resigned as Minister for Defence, and to de Valera who had
resigned as President, all were preparing for resistance to the
implementation of power by the pro-Treatyites.
The Barracks were
taken over from the departing British army by local units with
the result that in some areas the Military Barracks were in the
control of a pro-Treaty garrison, in others anti-Treaty soldiers
were in possession. During February 1922 clashes were occurring
between the two forces, arms, ammunition, armoured cars and
transport were taken from one side by the other as arrests and
counter arrests were made. No one knew it at the time but the
demarcation lines were been laid for the Civil War. To make
matters more confusing the Irish Free State Army was also known
as "the National Army" "the Dail Troops" "the Republican Army"
"the Regulars", "Beggars Bush Troops" or simply "the Staters",
whereas those who opposed the Treaty managed to retain the title
"Irish Republican Army" sometimes called "the Irregulars".
I should add that many of the men who joined the Irish Free
State Army in 1922 did so because unemployment was rife. Most of
them were un-political neither pro-Treaty or anti-Treaty, some
of them even had pro-British loyalties, Many of them served out
their time in the Defence Forces owing allegiance only to the
elected government of the day.
The above is a true and
accurate transcript of the original document.
- Transcribed by M. Purcell c2010.
- Old newspapers in the PPP.